Light Asian Broccoli Slaw & Quinoa Salad

Orna
January 21, 2014

This deliciously refreshing salad has a little crunch, a little sweet, and a lot of healthy in each bite. And it literally takes TEN minutes to throw together!

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I got the idea from my girlfriend, Nicole, who added tortilla chips to my Sweet & Spicy Tuna and Quinoa Salad (my most re-pinned recipe ever!), to make it less “light”. Loving the idea of the crunch, it inspired me to upgrade my Tuna Lunch Salad into a fun Super Bowl Party Salad, with cranberries and almonds.

The quinoa absorbs the dressing and adds an interesting texture, not usually found in Chinese Chicken Salads—which started the craze for all the Asian-inspired salads—made with Ramen Noodles, which are higher in carbs, fat, and calories! (Who needs those?!)

Did you know that a Chinese Chicken Salad at the Cheesecake Factory is 960 Calories?! They don’t even list the fat or fiber, so it’s impossible to calculate the points.

I’m not sure why these cute little ancient grains (pronounced keen-wah) bring me such joy. 🙂

Especially now that you can buy pre-cooked packages at Trader Joe’s! (Love that!)

Mann’s is my favorite Broccoli Slaw because the red cabbage adds color, and I find Trader Joe’s Broccoli Slaw a little tough and unruly! But any brand will do—in fact, you could even use regular cole slaw to change it up.

Love that you can buy already-toasted almonds! Add them at the end to keep the crunch. If you’re not a fan, sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds) will do the job.

Trader Ming’s Sesame Soy Ginger Vinaigrette rocks! And I love that it doesn’t count on Weight Watchers Simple Start or Simply Filling. But you could substitute any light Asian-inspired dressing. If you’re using an Asian-style dressing with oil, you can leave out the sesame oil.

Sesame Oil gives a wonderful, rich flavor, and a little goes a long way. If you don’t have any, leave it out, but it adds a lot to any oriental dish, so it’s a worthy investment!

I use Trader Joe’s organic Dried Cranberries, which are just as tasty and sweet as the regular ones, but lower in calories and sugar.

Trader Joe’s organic Dried Cranberries

3 PointsPlus for 1/3 cup (120 calories)

Trader Joe’s Dried Cranberries

4 PointsPlus for 1/4 cup (140 calories)

Apple Cider Vinegar blends well with the other flavors, and the little bit of acidity brightens up the dish. If you don’t have any, you could use rice vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or even a drop of balsamic vinegar.

Add Trader Joe’s Just Teriyaki Chicken or Teriyaki Tofu Trader Joe’s Organic Baked Tofu, Teriyaki Flavor to make it a complete, low point meal.

Make it Simple Start

If you’re following Weight Watchers Simple Start or Simply Filling Technique, leave out the sesame oil and vinegar, and substitute edamame for the almonds and pomegranate seeds for the cranberries—to keep it all Weight Watchers Power Foods.

Nowadays you don’t even have to tackle the whole pomegranate yourself!